Last year, the Haida Salmon Restoration Corporation (HSRC), a Canadian scientific research group, dumped 100 tons of iron sulfate into the Pacific Ocean in a known salmon migration route in order to spawn a plankton bloom that would absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Scientists and environmentalists were shocked. Environment Canada investigated the legality of the experiment particularly with regard to potential violations to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the London Convention. And the media documented the whole sordid affair. It was a mess. But a year later, it’s still not clear whether the experiment did harm or good.

For years, a battle has raged over the proposed $6 billion Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline that would see 525,000 barrels of Alberta Tar Sands bitumen transported nearly 750 miles to Kitimat, British Columbia where it would be loaded on supertankers and on to markets in Asia.

Photo courtesy Environmental Defence CanadaThe review panel found that the 750 mile pipeline project would have "significant local, regional, and national economic and social benefits."

On Thursday, Dec. 18, the Joint Review Panel set up by the Canadian government’s National Energy Board (NEB) released its recommendation for the project after an exhaustive process that… more

Proposal prompted by China's request for alternatives in the face of rising opposition to Keystone XL and Northern Gateway pipelines

There’s yet another sign that Canadian pipeline transport company Enbridge's plan for the Northern Gateway pipeline, that would move heavy crude from Alberta’s tar sands mines to a marine shipping terminal in British Columbia, is dead in the water. A recent report by Greenpeace has revealed that the Canadian government and the privately-owned, CN Rail, are looking into the possibility of transporting tar sands bitumen from Alberta to the Canadian west coast, via rail, from where it could be shipped to markets across the Pacific Ocean.

Photo by Steven TomsicShipping bitumen by rail would not require added chemicals to dilute the… more

Frustrated by what they say is the Stephen Harper government's blatant attempt to limit debate on key energy projects designed to expand production of the Alberta tar sands, environmental organization ForestEthics Advocacy is suing the Canadian federal government. The group filed suit in federal court yesterday (August 13), hoping to overturn legislation that they say unfairly restricts citizen participation in a publicly-funded democratic process.

Canadian oil producers seeking to expand existing pipelines to get tar sands oil to the US market

The battle over TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline continues to rage as both sides dig into their strategic playbooks for the Hail Mary pass that might tip the contest in their favor. The stakes, of course, are high. The multi-billion dollar project would see hundreds of thousands of barrels of diluted bitumen piped every day from Alberta across the border into the United States and to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.

Each side’s arguments are well known by now. Pipeline supporters promise jobs and North American energy security. Environmentalists warn of a climate change time bomb and oil spills, and argue that now is the time to end reliance on fossil… more